


Lost and Found

by SharkGirl



Series: Home [8]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animal Hybrids, Animal Hybrid AU, Being Lost, Cute, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Getting Lost, M/M, Making Friends, Panic Attack (Mild), Prejudice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-14 02:35:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7149242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kenma was sure he’d come this way, but the street looked different, smelled different.  He must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.  He shrugged and headed back the direction he came.  But when he got to the corner, he saw more unfamiliar sights.</p>
<p>How long ago had he made his initial wrong turn?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

  * For [indevan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/indevan/gifts).



> Well, this ended up being a lot longer than I'd originally planned.  
> This was a request from my beta, indevan! I hope you like it!!
> 
> More from Kenma's POV. I like being in his head~

It was well established that Kenma did not like leaving the apartment.  Though, over the past few weeks, he had approved of his and Kuroo’s ‘double dates’ with Bokuto and Akaashi.  And, perhaps because he’d been leaving their home – and the comfort of their bed – more often, that was the reason he thought it would be a good idea to venture out on his own.

He wasn’t planning on going far.  The battery for his handheld had run out – thankfully he’d managed to save his game right before then – and when he went to charge it, he noticed that his cord was frayed.  When he plugged it in, it sparked once, causing his tail to puff up.  He tore the plug from his console, praying it hadn’t fried the thing.

It was okay, but the battery was still dead.

The way Kenma saw it, he had two options:  Wait for Kuroo to get home from class so they could go out a buy a new charger, or go make his way over to the gaming store and get it himself.  Normally, it was a no-brainer – let Kuroo do it.  But it was still early and this was one of the taller man’s long days where his classes were to back to back to back.

So, not tired enough to go back to sleep and in no mood to come up with something else to do, Kenma pulled Kuroo’s old sweatshirt over his head, donning the hood, and walked out of their apartment and toward where he thought the gaming store was.

By some miracle, he managed to get there and purchase a new charger.  No one even looked at him twice as he walked into the store wearing an oversized black hoodie on the hottest day of the year so far.  Then again, the other patrons – others who had the time to go to a video game store in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday – didn’t look much different.

Kenma gripped the bag in his hands, feeling quite proud of himself for managing to do this on his own.  He couldn’t wait to tell Kuroo.  Then again, maybe he wouldn’t.  Then Kuroo would start expecting him to go out and run errands during the day and he wasn’t ready for that yet.

Baby steps.

Kenma rounded a corner and then stopped.  He was sure he’d come this way, but the street looked different, smelled different. He must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. He shrugged and headed back the direction he came. But when he got to the corner, he saw more unfamiliar sights.

How long ago had he made his initial wrong turn?

He felt panic grip his chest and he looked up, the tall buildings of the city seemed to close in on him.  He tried to regulate his breathing, but it was hard.  It was like he couldn’t get enough air in his lungs.

He was lost.

He was lost.

He shouldn’t have left the apartment.

Kuroo… He needed to call Kuroo.

Kenma reached into his pocket and pulled out the cellphone Kuroo had given him ‘for emergencies.’  He opened it up, going to the contacts.  The other man’s number was easy enough to find, nestled between the only other two, Bokuto’s and Tokyo Emergency Services.

He pressed the send button and waited as it rang.  It just kept ringing and then finally he heard Kuroo’s voice.

_‘Hey, you’ve reached Kuroo’s phone. I’m not here right now so-’_

Kenma hung up, his heart thundering in his chest.  Kuroo was in class.  He probably had his phone on silent.  He bit his lip as he thought of what to do.  Bokuto worked today and he couldn’t exactly call the police to escort him home.

He opened up a message window and began to type, hoping that Kuroo would check his texts during class.

_‘Went to the gaming store. Took a wrong turn. Near tall buildings.’_

He sent it and sighed, bringing the phone to his chest.  If he could just find his way back to the store, he could probably make it home.  He was sure he could remember the way back, he was just distracted before.  But, he told Kuroo where he was and, when you’re lost, you should stay where you are until someone finds you.

Pocketing his phone, Kenma walked over and sat down in front of a building, but the moment his backside touched the brick, a man came out a shooed him away.

“No loitering!” He pointed to a sign and frowned, shaking his head. “Damn kids…”

Kenma would have argued that he was not a child, but the man was big and scary, so he scurried away, his hood flying off as he ducked into the nearest alley.  He hurried to hide behind a dumpster, afraid the man might come after him for some reason.  He plopped down, gripping his bag tightly and bringing his knees up to his chest.

He closed his eyes, willing Kuroo to find him.  He didn’t want to be here.  The man’s yelling and the stench of garbage were bringing him back to his childhood, a time he’d rather forget. 

_‘Can’t you show a bit more affection?’_

_‘What good are you?’_

_‘Worthless! Waste of money!’_

Kenma dropped his bag and put his hands over his ears, holding them down on the top of his head.  He squeezed his eyes shut tighter and begged for Kuroo to hurry up and find him.  To show up out of nowhere with an apple pie and take him home.

“Kuro…”

“Hey, are you okay?”

He snapped his head up, half-expecting Kuroo to be standing there, holding out one of his hands for him to take.  But it wasn’t Kuroo.  It was a kid.  Maybe a teenager, it was hard to tell.  He looked young.  He was wearing a white t-shirt and, with the sunlight behind him, illuminating his fiery hair and giving him an ethereal glow, he looked almost like an angel.

Of course, it helped that he had wings.

Wait.  He had wings.

“You’re a hybrid.” Kenma looked up, surprised to see one in the middle of the city, especially one with his wings out in the open.  As the boy stepped closer, he noted that his wings were small – significantly smaller than Akaashi’s – and they were a glossy black.

“Uh, yeah.” The boy scratched the back of his head, giving an awkward smile. “I am.”  He lowered his hand and held it out to Kenma.  “I’m Shouyou. Hinata Shouyou.”

“Kenma.” He stared at the hand and then cautiously reached forward.  Hinata seemed nice enough.  After he stood up, he reached down and grabbed his bag.

“Oh, did you go to that video game store?” Hinata cocked his head to the side.  “That’s where I’m headed.”

By himself?

“Hey, what’s a kid like you doing out here all alone?” Kenma asked, suddenly wondering if this person finding him was a help or a hindrance.

“I’m not a kid!” Hinata balled his fists at his sides and stamped his foot, looking very much like a child.  “I’ll be twenty-one next month.”

“Oh.” Kenma blinked in surprise.  The other hybrid was less than a year and half younger than him.  “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Happens all the time.” Hinata laughed and then beamed at him. The other boy’s smile was contagious and Kenma found the corners of his lips beginning to curl up.  “Anyway, why are you in this alley?” He looked around. “Are you lost?”

“You could say that.”

“Me, too!” Hinata cheered excitedly. “I got really excited about going to get this new game and then Bakageyama wanted to race, so I pulled ahead and…” he trailed off, looking down sheepishly. “I lost my way.”

“Bakageyama?” Kenma raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, he’s my-”

“Hinata, you dumbass!”

They turned and saw a man standing at the end of the alley, near the street.  The sun silhouetted his tall form and the wings on his back, which were larger than Hinata’s.  But his wingspan was still probably only his height.  Akaashi’s wings were easily twice as long.

“Kageyama!” Hinata smiled at him and rushed over. “I’m glad you’re here cuz-”

“Who the hell just runs off like that?” he growled.  Kenma wasn’t sure if he should step closer or shrink away.

“I just couldn’t wait to get there and I didn’t want you to beat me and…” Hinata scratched his cheek with his index finger. “But thanks for finding us.”

“Us?” The man, Kageyama, turned his head to look over Hinata’s shoulder, his sharp eyes dark, predatory.  Kenma felt pinned under his gaze.  It was…intense.  “Who are you?”

“Stop scaring him, Bakageyama!” Hinata tugged on his arm, obviously using all of his weight, but the taller man didn’t budge.

He was strong and power seemed to resonate off of him in waves.  He spread his wings, inky black like Hinata’s, and narrowed his eyes, which matched his obsidian wings and hair.

“Knock it off!” Hinata kicked him in the shin and Kageyama doubled over, hissing in pain.

“What did you do that for, you dumbass?!”

“Because you were scaring my friend!” Hinata folded his arms over his chest, spreading his wings as wide as they could go in an attempt to look larger.  Kageyama stared back, his eyes terrifying, but then he closed them and sighed, turning his head.

“Whatever.”

“Thank you.” Hinata pat the taller man’s chest and then turned back toward Kenma. “Sorry about that. He can get a little…” he paused, thinking of the word. “Intense.” He echoed Kenma’s earlier thought.

“It’s understandable,” he replied, but still avoided Kageyama’s looming presence. “He was just worried about you.”  He chanced a glance when he heard Hinata start laughing, but he noticed a light blush on the taller man’s features, softening him somehow.

“Well, since we’re found now, should we help you get where you’re going?” Hinata asked, wiping a stray tear from his eye.

“If you can show me the way back to the gaming store, I should be able to get home from there,” Kenma said, starting to feel a little bit better.  Maybe he could do this.  He didn’t want to have to rely on Kuroo for everything.  The other man already did so much for him.

“Okay!” Hinata said and then smiled up at Kageyama. “Lead the way.”

“Uh…” The taller man looked to the side and mumbled something under his breath.  Even with Kenma’s sensitive ears, he couldn’t quite catch it.

“What?” Hinata asked for him.

“I’m…lost, too…” Kageyama admitted, cheeks glowing.

“And _you_ were making fun of _me_ for running off?” Hinata drew his brows down. “You’re just as bad!”

“Don’t lump me together with you!” Kageyama roared, his face flushed for a different reason now. “I lost my way because I was chasing after your dumb ass.”

“Stop calling me dumb!”

Man, that little guy gave as good as he got.

“Um…” Kenma cleared his throat.  “So, I take it we’re still lost then?”  The other two stopped arguing and nodded.  He closed his eyes and let out a sigh.  But then he got an idea.  But first, he needed to ask them.  “You two aren’t hiding your wings,” he began. “Does that mean you have papers?”

Hybrids with owners had special documentation, tags and identification in case they went missing.  A hybrid without papers couldn’t get a job or be purchased legally.

“Of course we have papers.” Kageyama folded his arms over his broad chest. “We’re not strays.” With the way he gave Kenma a once-over, he was clearly fighting the urge to add, ‘like you.’

“We’re rescues!” Hinata said cheerfully.

“Shut up, dumbass!” Kageyama hissed at him.

“I said to stop calling me-”

“If you’re registered,” Kenma went on, trying to avoid another shouting match. “Why don’t you just fly up and see where we are?”

He’d seen Akaashi fly a bit and Bokuto had demanded that he go for what he called a ‘fly along’ with him one time.  Kenma was content to watch as Akaashi carried Bokuto high into the air, but that wasn’t for him.  He liked his feet firmly planted on the ground.

“Fly…” Hinata echoed.

“Yes. To get our bearings?” Kenma offered, wondering if he hadn’t been clear.

“Um, we, uh…” Hinata was suddenly very interested in a discarded banana peel next to his sneaker.  Kenma furrowed his brow and turned to Kageyama, who just clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“What’s the matter?”  Did he say something wrong?

“We, that is, Kageyama and I, we’re-”

“You don’t have to tell him,” Kageyama interrupted, eyes narrowing at Kenma.

Kenma got that Kageyama was overprotective of his…boyfriend?  But he didn’t need to be so rude about it.

“We're failed experiments,” Hinata went on, ignoring the taller man.  “We were the first and, I think, only two crow hybrids.”  He scratched the back of his head again.  “They didn’t get the formula right or something, cuz our wings are too small.”  He fanned them out and flapped them a couple times.  “We’re flightless.”

“Oh, I-” Kenma’s eyes widened.  They were failures.  Just like him.  “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“It’s no big deal.” Hinata said, waving his hand in dismissal.  “We’re used-”

“My balloon!”

The three turned when they heard a little girl cry out.  She was reaching up, fingers outstretched, as the balloon she’d been holding floated out of her grasp.

“Mommy, get it!” she called and they watched it float up above their heads.

“I’m sorry, we’ll have to get you another one, sweetie.” Her mother said.

“Hinata don’t even think-” Kageyama began, but it was too late.  Hinata shot off, sprinting toward the dumpster and leaping onto it, bending down low and springing up.  He grabbed the balloon’s string and flapped his wings to slow his descent before landing gracefully in a crouch.

“I may not be able to fly,” he said as he stood up and smirked at Kenma. “But I can jump.”

Kenma was speechless.  He watched as Hinata walked over to the little girl and handed her back her balloon.

“Thank you!” she said with big eyes. “That was amazing!”

“Oh, it was nothing,” Hinata rubbed the back of his neck.  “I was just-” but he stopped when she wrapped her arms around his middle, giving him a hug.

“Thank you.” She smiled up at him.  But then she was being yanked away but her mother, the older woman gripping onto her arm.  “Mommy-”

“Get away from it, Miki!” her mother scolded. “That’s a hybrid.” She pulled her hard and the girl let go of her balloon, sending it floating up into the air and out of sight.  “You don’t know where it’s been,” she added as she dragged the girl down the sidewalk and away from Hinata.

Kenma knew that some people didn’t like the hybrids and a few even said they were abominations, unnatural things created by science with no souls.  But he hadn’t seen ignorant cruelty like that in some time.

“Shouyou…” Kenma walked toward him, but Kageyama beat him to it, wrapping his arms around the shorter man and resting his chin on his head.

“That was a cool jump,” he whispered and Kenma watched as Hinata relaxed in his embrace.

“There you are!” another voice called.

Kenma was getting a little tired of random people showing up.  Of course, that could have been because he was constantly disappointed that they weren’t Kuroo.

“Suga-san!” Hinata walked over to the man.  He was human and looked only a little older than them, with ash-colored hair and warm hazel eyes.  There was a mole just below one of them that gave him a gentle appearance, but Kenma sensed that he was strong.

“Where on Earth have the two of you been?” He put his hands on his hips.  “Daichi and I have been looking all over for you!”

The two crow hybrids looked at each other before launching into a cacophony of excuses and ‘ _He did this_ ’s and ‘ _Only cuz he did that_ ’s.

“What am I going to do with you?” Suga sighed and then turned toward Kenma.  “I hope they haven’t caused you too much trouble.”

“Not at all,” Kenma said.  And, although that wasn’t completely true, he didn’t mind.

“Well, still, I’m sorry they bothered you, um...?”

“His name is Kenma!” Hinata said.  “He’s lost, too!”

“I…just need help getting back to the video game store,” he admitted, feeling embarrassed.

“Oh, it’s just around the corner.” Suga gestured over his shoulder. “We’re headed there now.” He took out his phone. “Let me just call Daichi.”

They all walked together, Suga laughing about something the other person said over the phone, Kageyama brooding, and Hinata chattering on and on about the game he was going to get.

“So, Suga-san is your…”  Owner?

“Oh, Suga-san is, well, he and Daichi-san saved us.” Hinata explained.  “We were about to age out and no one wanted to buy birds that couldn’t fly, so they adopted us and now we’re a family.”

Kenma peeked at the man leading them toward the store.  He looked to be around Kuroo’s age.  Maybe older.  How was he able to support two hybrids?

“You guys gave me a heart attack!” A tan man with short brown hair said when they arrived, lowering the phone from his ear the same time Suga did.  “Don’t make me say we can’t go into the city anymore.”

“We promise we won’t do it again!” Hinata begged, lacing his fingers together and putting them under his chin.  “Right, Kageyama?” He elbowed the other man, who was busy digging his pinkie in his ear.

“Huh? Yeah.”

“Be serious!” Hinata pouted.

The other man, presumably Daichi, rolled his eyes and sighed.

“This is Kenma,” Suga introduced him without warning. “He took care of our boys until I found them.”

“Is that right?” Daichi turned and clapped him on the back. “Thanks for watching over them.”

“I didn’t really…”

“Do you live around here?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Not in that alley?” Suga questioned, face concerned.

Why did everyone think he was a stray today?

“No, I live with-”

Kuroo.  He forgot to see if Kuroo had messaged him back.  He pulled out his phone.  He had four missed messages and two missed calls.  He must have turned off the sound by mistake.

_‘Why did you go out?’_

_‘Did you make it home?’_

_‘Where are you now?’_

_‘Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.’_

He’d made Kuroo worry again.  He was about to call him back when,

“Kenma!” he heard Kuroo’s voice and turned just in time to see him running toward him, his usual messy hair even more out of place and sweat dripping down the sides of his face.  “You didn’t answer and I thought…”  He gripped Kenma's arms and inspected him, checking for injuries.  “Don’t scare me like that.” He lowered his head to his shoulder.

“I’m sorry.” Kenma wrapped his arms around the taller man, his bag knocking into his back.  Kuroo’s scent filled his nostrils, warmth, spice, comfort, home. “I’m sorry you had to leave class.”

“I’m just glad you’re safe.” Kuroo pulled back and then noticed the four others standing beside them.  “Did you help him?” he asked.

“Actually, _he_ helped _us_.” Daichi held his hand out and Kuroo took it, shaking it firmly. “Sawamura Daichi,” he introduced himself.

"Kuroo Tetsurou."

“And this is Sugawara Koushi.”

“Just Suga’s fine.” He smiled.  “And these two troublemakers are-”

“Hinata Shouyou!” Hinata bounced up. “Are you Kenma’s boyfriend?”

“Shut up, dumbass,” Kageyama snarled. “You can’t just ask that.”

“But he is, right?” He looked up at Kuroo, eyes sparkling.

“Um…” Kuroo cleared his throat. “Lively bunch, huh?”

“Kuro.” Kenma tugged on his sleeve. “Let’s go home.”

“Okay.” He turned back toward them. “Thanks for today.”

“Wait!” Hinata ran up to Kenma and took his phone. “This is Suga-san’s number, cuz I don’t have a phone, but, um, please message me and we can talk more about the game, okay?”

Kenma looked at him with wide eyes and then smiled.

“Okay, Shouyou.”

“Bye!” Hinata waved and ran toward the store. “Last one in buys!”

“That was a false start, you dumbass!” Kageyama said as he chased after him.

Kuroo thanked Daichi and Suga again before he began walking home, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“So,” he began when he and Kenma had taken a few steps away. “You made a new friend, huh?”

“I did.”

“Should I be jealous?”

Kenma just pulled a face.

“Okay, okay.” Kuroo laughed. “So, they’re hybrids,” he mused. “Pretty wings, but they didn’t look like they could do much.”

“They’re failed experiments,” Kenma said. “Failures like me.”

“You’re not-”

“Don’t.”

Kuroo sighed and wrapped his arm around Kenma’s shoulders, pulling him close.

“You’re perfect.”

“I am not-”

“Don’t.” Kuroo shot back playfully, but then grew serious. “I like you just the way you are.”

“Even if I get lost?” Kenma frowned, sick of causing the other man trouble.

“Only if I can come save you.” Kuroo leaned down and kissed the top of his head, moving to nuzzle one of his ears. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Kenma hummed in agreement.

“We should invite Chibi-chan out to dinner as a thank you.”

“Bokuto and Akaashi, too,” Kenma said, surprising the other man.

“Since when do you like big get-togethers?” Kuroo asked, eyebrows raised.

“I think Akaashi might want to meet other birds,” he explained. “Get to know more about other hybrids.”

“You’re turning into quite the social butterfly, aren’t you?” Kuroo snickered and then groaned when Kenma punched him in the side.

“It’s your fault,” he said, but he was smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> #FlightlessCrows ;-9  
> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> Let me know what you think and hit me up on tumblr [@jubesy](http://jubesy.tumblr.com)!


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